Thanksgiving is an American holiday steeped in tradition. Since it became a federal holiday in 1941, many families have given it their all to establish an annual routine for the festivities. From the food being eaten to where the food is eaten, American families have established a unique way of going about the day.

It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is right on our doorstep now. With all the commotion of 2020, it’s a bit harder to drown out the noise and find something to be thankful for in comparison to past years, so we at The Weekly Talon have created a handy little poll to make it a bit easier.

Or maybe we just really want to know what your favorite Thanksgiving food is.

We asked our lovely student body and staff three questions about their favorite Thanksgiving food, least favorite Thanksgiving food, and their favorite Thanksgiving tradition (along with the obligatory name and grade level questions). All in all, we received 16 responses, so it should be noted that it is highly unlikely that these are indicative of the entire school. 

From what we gathered, the most popular favorites are ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and macaroni and cheese. While not everyone had the same favorites, there were many repeaters, except for deviled eggs, which are junior Heidi Dix’s favorite. 

The most popular least favorite Thanksgiving food was overwhelmingly cranberry sauce/cranberry salad. Cranberry fans are few and far between in our sample. Stuffing also had quite a few entries in the least favorite category, which could suggest this is quite a polarizing dish.

Spending time with family won out over the other traditions in terms of popularity, with simply eating taking up second place. Or, as senior Isaiah Teasley puts it, “eating, of course.” Riley Little, a junior, says her family does Secret Santa at Thanksgiving because that’s the only time she sees her family. Lillie Rollins, also a junior, says her family has a “thankful tree” that they write what they are thankful for and share with each other after the meal. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey! We hope you enjoy this glance into some of the traditions of Davie County High School. Some of these traditions may be disrupted this year due to COVID-19, but the spirit of Thanksgiving can still live on through time spent with those around us and acknowledgment of all we still have to be thankful for. 

Here’s to wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving from all of us at The Weekly Talon!